@c * [: (coreutils)[ invocation. File/string tests.
@c * pinky: (coreutils)pinky invocation. FIXME.
@c * uptime: (coreutils)uptime invocation. FIXME.
+@c * mktemp: (coreutils)mktemp invocation. FIXME.
+@c * chcon: (coreutils)chcon invocation. FIXME.
@dircategory Individual utilities
@direntry
@itemx --separate-dirs
@opindex -S
@opindex --separate-dirs
-Report the size of each directory separately, not including the sizes
-of subdirectories.
+Normally, in the output of @command{du} (when not using @option{--summarize}),
+the size listed next to a directory name, @var{d}, represents the sum
+of sizes of all entries beneath @var{d} as well as the size of @var{d} itself.
+With @option{--separate-dirs}, the size reported for a directory name,
+@var{d}, is merely the @code{stat.st_size}-derived size of the directory
+entry, @var{d}.
@itemx --time
@opindex --time